Many substances are applied topically to the skin or mucous membranes of humans or animals (hereinafter “skin”) in order to alter the subject's appearance, to protect the subject from the environment, or to produce a biological change in the skin or other tissue for therapeutic, preventive or cosmetic purposes. These substances may generically be termed “topical products” and include such topically applied substances as cosmetics, topical over-the-counter or prescription medications, soaps and cleansers.
Topical products occur in a variety of forms, including solids, liquids, suspensions, semisolids (such as creams, gels, lotions, pastes or “sticks”), powders or finely dispersed liquids such as sprays or mists. Examples of topical products commonly classified as “cosmetics” include skin care products such as moisturizing creams and lotions, and “treatment cosmetics” such as exfoliants and/or skin cell renewal agents; fragrances such as perfumes and colognes, and deodorants; shaving-related products such as creams, “bracers” and aftershaves; depilatories and other hair removal products; skin cleansers, toners and astringents; pre-moistened wipes and washcloths; tanning lotions and sunscreens; bath products such as oils; eye care products such as eye lotions and makeup removers; foot care products such as powders and sprays; skin colorant and make-up products such as foundations, blushes, rouges, eye shadows and liners, lip colors and mascaras; lip balms and sticks; hair care and treatment products such as shampoos, conditioners, colorants, dyes, bleaches, straighteners, and permanent wave products; baby products such as baby lotions, oils, shampoos, powders and wet wipes; feminine hygiene products such as deodorants and douches; skin or facial peels applied by dermatologists or cosmeticians; and others. Examples of topical products commonly classified as “topical drugs” are many and varied, and include over-the-counter and/or prescription products such as antiperspirants, insect repellents, sunscreens and sunburn treatments, anti-acne agents, antibiotics, therapeutic retinoids, anti-dandruff agents, external analgesics such as capsaicin products, topical contraceptives, topical drug delivery systems, suppositories and enemas, hemorrhoid treatments, vaginal treatments, lozenges, and many other products with therapeutic or other effects. Other topical products include hand, facial and body soaps and detergents and other forms of skin cleansers, as well as household detergents and many other household products such as solvents, propellants, polishes, lubricants, adhesives, waxes and others which are either applied topically or are topically exposed to the body during normal use.
Many ingredients used in topical products are known irritants or are potentially irritating, especially to people with “sensitive skin”. These irritating ingredients include fragrances, preservatives, solvents, propellants and many other ingredients that might otherwise be considered inert components of the products. Additionally, many active ingredients, including chemicals that may also be classified as drugs, produce irritation when applied to the skin. Where more than one chemical irritant is present, their irritating effects may be additive. Furthermore, chemical ingredients may react with one another, or in the environment of the skin, to form new chemicals which are irritating.
Furthermore, as people age, their skin loses elasticity and is unable to retain moisture as well. Thus, many people experience dry skin as they age and require moisturizers that penetrate more deeply so that the moisture is retained for a longer period of time. Adding moisture to the skin provides comfort and relief from flaking or itching and reduces the appearance of wrinkles. It is important to formulate these products from environmentally sustainable materials, so that natural resources are not depleted.
There is a need for personal care products formulated almost without the use of chemicals and petroleum by-products. The purpose of creating such formulations/products is to allow consumers/users of personal care products to enjoy safer products than the ones that exist in today's market, while also providing improved performance in moisturizing the skin and being more environmentally sustainable. Particularly, it would be useful to have personal care products wherein 90% or more of the ingredients are natural products. It is known that the use of natural products result in lower health risks than the use of chemicals or petroleum by-products that are commonly used in personal care products today, e.g., avoiding the use of parabens as preservatives and using a natural preservative system, using a natural fragrance and avoiding the use of a synthetic fragrance (see http://www.cosmeticsdatabase.com/wordsearch.php?query=paraben regarding the dangers of parabens).
Although it is recognized that personal care products need to use purified water for consumer safety purposes (see http://www.cosmeticsinfo.org/ingredient_details.php?ingredient_id=1566), most manufacturers and vendors of personal care and cosmetic products do not go beyond the minimum government requirements set forth for water quality. The reason for monitoring water quality in personal care products has been for the purpose of consumer safety (see http://www.ewg.org/health/report/bottledwater-scorecard and http://www.ewg.org/reports/bottledwater and http://www.cosmeticsdatabase.com/browse.php?category=nourishing), but the focus has not been on improving the performance of personal care products by using purified water.
There is also a need for a product or skincare regimen that can increase the level of moisture in the skin to improve the appearance and feel of the skin and relieve dryness, flaking and itchiness, where the product is made from natural, non-irritating ingredients that are environmentally sustainable.